Christmas Spirit
by Kaoru.and.Hikaru
Summary: As if on impulse, she looked back at him. He seemed to think she had left, and he began mumbling to himself.“I’ll bet they’ll never let me live this down.” NarumiKiri


**Just something I did on Devart in december of last yea, thought I'd share it with you guys. **

**OOC AHEAD**

**- - -**

**Christmas Spirit**

Kiri woke slowly.

She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but knew very well that she had missed her afternoon classes. She yawned and laid her head back down; skipping classes didn't bother her much; she knew she was smart enough to catch up.

She sighed.

Her mom was back for the holidays, meaning her parents would be making up for lost time. Bleh. It annoyed her how they acted all cuddly out in the open, but she was just happy that they still loved each other; even being so far apart for so long.

She leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. She had always thought that the school's ceilings looked a little odd; they always seemed to have faces in them. She looked away from the ceiling and back at the table.

She spotted a poof of blonde hair farther down the table. What was Narumi doing here? She knew this was his clubroom but he doesn't usually come in here if there isn't a club meeting, much less to sleep. Though she couldn't really blame him. With the winter break closing in, girls were giving him presents and asking for makeovers for the upcoming winter ball (not to mention asking him to it), he had to be tired. Though, he had got himself into this, being top beautician in Japan was no anonymous feat; people knew who you were.

Still, she felt a mild sympathy for him. After all it was the holidays, he probably had some family events to go to/get ready for. Her family wasn't doing anything special, just exchanging gifts; though Narumi's dad was very much a family man, and probably gathers all of his relatives, on every holiday known to man, and probably a few he made up himself.

She wondered briefly if he had hid from his numerous fangirls, seeking refuge in the SP clubroom. Though, she didn't think he was that stupid; he should know that this would be the first place they'd look.

She shrugged; it wasn't her business.

She stood and collected her things—which wasn't hard considering they were exactly where she left them, in her school bag—and she walked to the door; she needed to find Kanako before she started to worry.

Kiri had already opened the door when she heard a voice behind her.

"Wait, mussy-head." Kiri would have kept walking if he did not sound so entirely pathetic.

"What?" She closed the door and turned to face Narumi, "What do you want Naru-naru?"

"Kazuhiko told me," he breathed out, He must really be tired to let the 'naru-naru' slide. "He told me to tell you that the Winter Ball is mandatory for all SP club members."

"I'll pass." Kiri turned back to the door.

"I told him you wouldn't go, but he told me to tell you it's mandatory."

"I didn't even want to be in this club in the first place," Kiri was annoyed with Ochiai.

"I know," Narumi rubbed his eyes and stood up. "I didn't want you to be in either."

"You hid it so well."

"Stop being sarcastic!" Narumi put a hand on the door to keep her from opening it, "I need you to go with me. Kazuhiko and Kei have been pestering me to get a date for this dance. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you, I just hate those other girls more."

"What about Kanako?" Kiri really didn't want to go, but she always found herself helping people, so she tried to find a way out of it.

"Her? Kazuhiko agreed to go with her."

"Why are you even trying to get a date?" she asked.

"So Kazuhiko and Kei will shut up."

"And everyone else has a date?" Narumi thought about this one, and she figured she was in the clear.

"Well," he looked thoughtful, for a change, "I'm not entirely sure." He shrugged. "Kazuhiko obviously does, Kei was implying that he was asked, and I'm not sure about Seki," both of them paused leaving room for the 'sorry' that would have followed, had Seki been here.

Kiri opened her mouth to respond but Narumi beat her to it.

"No, I will not ask one of those psychopathic girls to go with me!" Narumi sat on the ground in front of the door, preventing Kiri's escape. "Why did I even ask?" Kiri knew he didn't like asking for help. He moved out of the way of the door and closed his eyes, almost as if he were sleeping.

Kiri opened the door.

She took one step out and he sighed. As if on impulse, she looked back at him. He seemed to think she had left, and he began mumbling to himself.

"I'll bet they'll never let me live this down."

Damn him.

- - -

Unfortunately for him the day of the winter ball came all too soon. Narumi took as long as he could to get ready. Unfortunately for him, Kazuhiko and Kei had seen this coming and made him get ready and brought their dates along, to make sure he looked nice.

When they had finally arrived to the overly decorated gym, it began.

"Is your date running a little late, Narumi?" Kazuhiko checked his watch. Narumi knew Kazuhiko was mocking him.

"Yea," he bluffed, "I'll wait for her out here, you guys go on in." He figured that when they went in he'd make a run for it. Kazuhiko and Kei exchanged glances.

"It'd be dangerous for you to wait by yourself," Kazuhiko's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"No way, Naru-naru!" Kei chimed in, "we can't leave you alone!" Was he being sarcastic? It was hard to tell.

"No really, she'll be here any minute, you guys go have fun," Narumi tried to sound as convincing as possible, too bad it didn't work.

"I'll bet you didn't even get a date," Kazuhiko smirked.

"Naru-naru never did like asking for help," Kei smiled cheerfully.

"I really did get a date!" Narumi cursed at his dominant desire to win.

"Narumi, there's no one here, and I don't think anyone will be here," Kazuhiko began ushering Narumi inside. "Let's just go inside and have some fun."

Narumi gave up and let Kazuhiko stab his pride and twist the knife.

"How rude," rang a nonchalant voice to their right, "You invite me, and then go off and have fun on your own? Don't really know how to treat girls, do you Naru-naru?"

"Kiri-chan!" Kei called, waving dramatically. Kiri stood at the end of the hall (some 20 feet away) in a knee-length green sleeveless dress.

Narumi gladly broke away from Kazuhiko and strode over to her. "Thanks for coming!" He said loud enough for the two behind them to hear, then whispered, "I thought you weren't going to come. Change of heart?" Narumi was extremely grateful but wouldn't allow himself to show it.

"No, I just knew that if I didn't come, I'd have to listen to them tease you during club." Since when does she do stuff like that?

Narumi swallowed and put aside his dignity. "Well, thanks anyway…"

Kiri looked up at him, and then looked away. "Sure."

He took her arm and escorted her to the gym (he's sure he was hallucinating, but as they walked by, Kazuhiko seemed almost…jealous?). The three couples joined the rest of the dancers in the middle of the room. They began dancing to an upbeat pop song. Narumi almost tripped.

"Sorry," he completely forgot whom he was with, "dancing never was my thing…"

"Me neither…"

They danced in silence for the next few songs playing the awkward couple card. After a while, a slow song started to play. Narumi and Kiri stopped as the dancers around them slowed down and paired off. Soon they were surrounded in a sea of slowly swaying bodies.

"All for skipping?"

"Aye."

Just as they were about to leave the dance floor, Narumi spotted Kazuhiko, watching them from a few feet away.

"Shoot," Narumi said under his breath.

"What?" Kiri turned around and looked at him.

"Kazuhiko's watching us, he's probably skeptical about the 'you're my date' thing."

"So what you're telling me is…?"

"Please?"

Kiri sighed and held up her hands. Narumi skillfully moved so that both of them rested on his shoulders. His placed his hands on her waist and they began to sway with the others.

"Well, this is awkward."

"You owe me for this."

"Yea, yea."

As the chorus rolled around, the couples around them moved in closer. Narumi and Kiri tried their best to stay am arms length apart, but the constant decrease of space around them made that extremely difficult. Eventually, Kiri had to wrap her arms around his neck to keep from falling, seeing as there were people pushing from all sides. Narumi in turn wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Some one really hates us." Narumi sighed.

"No kidding," Kiri still barely kept her balance. "I say we skip out, using the excuse 'lack of space'."

"Sure," Narumi agreed, at this point, it couldn't get much worse, "why not?"

The two forced their way out of the swaying couples and collapsed at a near by table.

"That is something I never want to go through again." Narumi sank back into his chair. Kiri didn't reply.

After a long couple of hours sitting at a stupid looking table, repeating excuses to not dance, and denying any school dance related activity whatsoever, they were finally allowed to go.

"Wait!" Kei stopped them, "you can't leave yet! There's one last Christmas tradition we haven't done!"

"Kei, please no." Narumi all but begged.

"I-it's alright, Kei, we don't have to do that tradition." Kazuhiko insisted.

"No way!" Kei pouted, "We have to!" No body was willing to argue with him, they just wanted to go home. "Do I have to get the prop or will you do it on your own?"

"I'll do it, just let me leave!" Narumi was getting frustrated.

"Yea, sure." Kazuhiko didn't seem to be listening to the conversation.

"Okay then, go ahead!"

Narumi turned to Kiri with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm really sorry about this."

Before Kiri could respond, Narumi leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, just touching the corner of her lips. For the first time in her life, Kiri blushed crimson.

"See? That wasn't so bad," Kei looked from Narumi and the apple red Kiri to the mad looking Kazuhiko and the puddle of Kanako. "And I didn't even have to go get the mistletoe!"

"Yea," Kazuhiko looked sharply at Narumi with a fire in his gaze, "that wasn't so bad, eh, Narumi?"

Narumi laughed nervously and swung an arm over the still bright red Kiri's shoulder. "Not a problem."

Damn him.

**End**


End file.
